About 30 inmates successfully forced their way out of the Iyombe prison main gate early Thursday, Taarifa has reliably learned.
Details reaching Taarifa Congo Desk indicate that a spectacular movie-like prison break was possible because of weak security and dilapidated facility built during Belgian colonial era.
“I called the major to tell him that here at the prison, security is understaffed, he needed to add more police officers. As proof, here is the letter I wrote after the police officers left. The letter was entered late, I was supposed to file it today. Thirty-one prisoners left and 7 stayed,” he said Puis Biakompolo, the Director of the Prison.
He said that the security forces assigned to guard the prison had withdrawn after packing up their belongings, following orders to return to the barracks, leaving only one guard who was later relieved by two others.
This is not the first time inmates at this facility escape without teace.
For example last June, 17 inmates escaped after breaking a window. Last August, 5 inmates left in broad daylight after shifting one of the cracked walls of Iyombe prison.
According to details Iyombe Prison was built in 1928. It’s expected to celebrate it’s 100th anniversary in 2028.
